CITY SAFARI - London & Partners

DINING & NIGHTLIFEand burgers alongsidecask-conditioned ales andexcellent wines. A real find.Closed Sun. £.51 Eagle Street, WC1.% 020 7404 0200.: thebountifulcow.co.ukË Holborn. Map B6.buLL aND LasT, THERather brilliantly situatednext to Hampstead Heath,this wildly popular pub, witha striking yet simple interior,serves sophisticated andhearty English fare. Tryoctopus carpaccio, chickenliver pappardelle pasta andwell-hung steak. ££.168 Highgate Road, NW5.% 020 7267 3641.: thebullandlast.co.ukË Gospel Oak. Off map.cow, THEThis perennially popular spotcomes from top restaurateurTom Conran and the beersand dining are both excellent.Those in the know say theoysters are some of the bestin London. ££.89 Westbourne Park Road,W2. % 020 7221 0021.: thecowlondon.co.ukË Bayswater. Off map.EaGLE, THEOne of the first pubs tokick-start the gastropubrevolution, this busy andmuch-loved venue still haswhat it takes. People raveabout its laid-back style anddishes like Napoli sausageswith beans. ££.159 Farringdon Road, EC1.% 020 7837 1353.Ë Farringdon. Map B7.GuN, THEFantastically located, topnotchgastropub with anenviable reputation, housedin an 18th-century building inthe futuristic Canary Wharf.The menu comprises of richbut delicate combinations,such as fillet of sea troutwith leek fondue. ££.27 Coldharbour, E14.% 020 7515 5222.: thegundocklands.comË Canary Wharf.Map inset.HarwooD armsWe’re not quite sure ifImliOn a grey Tuesday night Imli is filled with the buzz of happydiners. It’s no surprise really: this fantastically good andoriginal restaurant has been serving up Indian tapas-styledishes for a few years and the word is well and truly out.We applied ourselves with gusto. We loved a strikingpuri – puffed wheat filled with spiced chickpeas, whichwe topped ourselves with sharply refreshing paani (spicedwater). Samosa chaat was incredibly moreish – a vegetablesamosa covered in chickpeas, yoghurt, tamarind and chutney.Chicken satay came with a delightful beetroot chutney, whilespicy squid were crunchy little delights. A mild but deeplytasty seafood malabar hit the spot, as did the tandoori lambchops, marinated to perfect pink tenderness with papaya,peppercorn, chilli and cumin, and a brilliant chicken masalawith an avocado dip, plus cumin and turmeric mash was todie for. We rounded off with gulab jamun – milk dumplingserved with ginger and fig ice cream. Come and see whatthe buzz is about for yourself. Hermione CrawfordImli, p. 109.106 | visitlondon.com | LONDON PLANNER | June 2011